ELDER JEFF DESPAIN

Monday, April 18, 2011

This has been a week of miracles! First off to answer your questions, people from Santiago come here if they have the money. The thing is that they really don’t have a reason to come our area, La Cienaga, haha! There’s not a whole lot that Los Guandules and La Cienaga have to offer, so we haven’t run into anyone that Elder Clase knows from home! (Jeff’s companion is from a place called Santiago in the DR so we asked how close Santiago and Santo Domingo are and if Elder Clase ever sees anyone he knows from home.)

Ya, Brother Richardson is right. Megacentro where they have Taco Bell is just one taxi ride away from here, and it is a good distance on the other side of the Ozama River, or Río Ozama like they say here.

So the miracle that happened this week was with the family of Junior and Juana. The branch here in La Cienaga got their money together, and they had enough so that they could help to the point that Junior and Juana could get married! So, we went to the place to put the appointment for their wedding, but they told us that the ID that Junior had wouldn’t work because it was temporary and they needed a new plastic one. So, we went to District Meeting that day and then we called President to see if the money that the mission has could help us out, because the problem was that the new ID would cost another 1000 pesos. President said yes! So we went and got a new ID with Junior, and then we put the appointment for them to get married that day! So they are getting married tomorrow morning! Then they are going to get baptized on Saturday! We are also going to have a baptism on Sunday of a lady who works Monday through Saturday named Lidia. She’s way cool! She chose to come to church one day, and so she went with one of her friends who is a member, a decision that will now change her life. We also may have another baptism of an older lady that lives in Los Guandules, but we have to see. Her name is Maria De Los Angeles. She surprised us by showing up at church this week! Truly a week of miracles, what a gigantic miracle the Lord did for us helping Junior and Juana get married!

(Jeff said that last week he was able to eat at a place in Elder McBride’s area where they could actually get a bacon cheeseburger. We asked him if it was a chain or anything we would recognize.) Don Tatos is a Dominican place, but they serve burgers, and they’re pretty good, but today we had the big get together at Parque Del Este, and then we went, and Elder McBride was there too, to the Mexican food place they have there. What a treat!

Trent’s doing great, we shoot emails back and forth, and he finally just got to Brazil!!! He’s not understanding a whole lot, but coming along, and he already had four baptisms a couple of weeks ago! (Trent is one of Jeff’s friends that was called to Brazil. He left the end of September but was delayed with Visa problems so he served a few months in Oregon before his Visa finally came through and we were happy to hear from Jeff that he made it to Brazil!)

Travis came over to visit you! Tell him hi for me! That’s so awesome, wow, I cannot believe that he’s home now! I never thought that we would be at that point, wow!

Tell TJ and Braden congratulations too! Wow, lots of mission calls stateside Spanish speaking. I’m sure that means that the Lord will be able to use them their whole life! That’s awesome!

Well, all is well here in La Cienaga. We’re working with some amazing people who want to come unto the Lord through baptism. Elder Clase hasn’t trunked out yet either, he is doing great! It’s so amazing to see how the Lord works a miracle in your life little by little. Without recognizing it usually, the Lord brings about a huge miracle a little at a time, a little bit every day, every week, and every month. I am so grateful for the miracle that He is working in my life. What an amazing promise we have to know that Jesus Christ has conquered the world, and that we have nothing to fear. Even though Satan tells us all the time that we’re not good enough, that our trials will never end, that there’s no hope, I testify that if we keep walking, just keep on marching, and don’t quit, then we will see that The Lord will work everything out and He will conquer our trials and tribulations, and we will come off conqueror and see the lies of Satan for what they are. So just keep on going, don’t stop moving your feet, and I know that the Lord will help you and deliver you. I forgot who gave this talk, but a few years ago someone gave a talk called “Sunday will come”. I love the message of that talk, that when we have the Fridays of our lives, the hard times, the trials, the dark tunnels of our lives, we need not despair, for Sunday will come. I testify that that is true, so just keep marching, and don’t forget who’s walking beside you with every step, Jesus Christ, our Lord, Savior, and Redeemer!

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